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Things to Think About When Selecting a Defensive Driving Course |
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Written by Jerry Malcolm
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It isn’t often spoken about but it is still a fact that one of the most common causes of death in this country is in a traffic accident. Much thought and debate goes into stopping death by disease or murder or war. And that is good debate because we should work on those issues. But very little dialog goes on at a public level about stopping the chronic loss of life on the roads and highways of the nation.
So obviously, we cannot expect anything to change about the dangers of driving. What we can change is how to drive in such a way that the majority of the time, if there is a road emergency that could result in an accident, we know how to get out of it alive and safe. That knowledge is at the heart of what we call defensive driving. Defensive driving means learning how to evaluate what is going on around you as you drive and how to spot a hazard and implement a plan to avoid an accident before it is too late. Good defensive driving skills mean the difference between life and death when you go out to drive on the road and highways where so many do not come back alive.
But defensive driving skills are not something you are born knowing. It takes training, practice and an intention to become a defensive driver to be successful in acquiring this skill. A good defensive driving school can make the difference in your success in learning this life saving skill. So here are some things to consider when you are in the market for a good defensive driving course being taught by a qualified defensive driving school.
* What Kind of Course Fits Your Needs?
The traditional approach to defensive driving instruction is a classroom setting. That is worthwhile consideration because the structure of the class will assure you will show up on time and sit through the lessons even when they get boring, which sometimes happens. The social aspect of a classroom setting is also helpful. A variation on the classroom approach is a defensive driving course that has you in a car the entire time and gives you one on one instruction from a defensive driving teacher. The third approach is a kind of defensive driving instruction that you do on your own either by correspondence or on the internet. That route is a good one when you cannot fit conventional defensive driving school into your schedule.
* Why Are You Here?
You might as well be honest with yourself about why you are taking defensive driving. If it is to get a ticket dismissed, to lower your insurance rates or to get a job that involves driving, those are still perfectly acceptable reasons to take defensive driving. In many cases, you can accomplish those goals with an online defensive driving course. That is an economical way to go as well. But be sure you take the course seriously and still try to make the most of the time you are putting into it. After all, even if you have to take defensive driving because the court or your job is making you do it, you might as well learn as much as possible to become a better driver along the way.
* Is Money an Issue?
If your boss is paying for the course, go for the best kind of training in can get which is a defensive driving course you take in a classroom or directly from an instructor with lots of hands on practice in a vehicle. The online or correspondence approach to defensive driving training is the least expensive. But take into account that it is hard to study on your own and many people try to complete courses online or by themselves and never get the job done. So if you can afford it, get the best defensive driving training you can get. It will serve you well for decades of safer driving.
* Don't Forget the Savings You Will Realize When You Finish Defensive Driving School.
Even if you are taking defensive driving training because you have a ticket to get dismissed or because of a requirement in high school or as part of your job, be sure you let your insurance company know when you finish the lessons. That certificate you get can get your insurance rates dropped by up to 10%. That alone may make the effort and time you put into defensive driving school entirely worth the investment.
* How Much Time Do You Have for This?
Classroom defensive driving school can take a couple weeks to finish meeting at the classroom for an hour or two at a time. That is a time investment. But you can find defensive driving programs that will get through the entire program in one long session on a Saturday. Many people like this approach because it "gets it out of the way" and you learn a lot in a short time that will benefit you for your entire driving career.
When you go to select a defensive driving school, also take into account the reputation of the school and the training of their instructors. You want a school that is fully certified to reach defensive driving by the state and that your insurance company will accept to get that good discount to help pay back the costs of the course. But by asking the right questions and finding a defensive driving course that fits your needs, you will make the most of the training both for your short term goals and for the long term goal of keeping you and your family safe anytime you go out driving on the nation's roads and highways.
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